When You're Gone
by melissa.maier.902
Summary: * THIS IS NOT A SAD STORY, PROMISE!* A cute little Finchel one-shot for one of my twitter buddies :) Enjoy, Melissa / So... this started as a one-shot but it seems to be growing, lol, which is fine so if anyone has some ideas let me know. *I'm not sure how this turned into a multi-piece story but you guys keep sending prompts - this is fun and therapy for me!*
1. Chapter 1

"Daaaaaaddddyyyy"

The familiar ear-piercing yell echoed throughout the loft, causing Finn to drop the plate he was washing into the sink. Luckily it didn't break, but he was now covered in soapy water. He grabbed a dishtowel and started in the direction of the yell.

"Yes, Ophelia? What's the matter?" Finn caught up to his three-year-old daughter as she came barreling out of the living room.

"Daddy! Cory keeps knocking over my blocks!" She stomped her little foot and huffed.

Finn just had to smile. She looked so much like Rachel. They had the same long, beautiful hair and big brown eyes. They also shared similar personalities and, apparently, the same lung capacity.

"Babygirl, your brother is just an infant, he doesn't know any better. You have to have a little patience."

He guided her back into the living room. Cory was busy stuffing the blocks into his mouth and then discarding them.

"Eww! He's gross, daddy. Now my blocks are all slimy."

Finn laughed and scooped his one-year-old son into his arms. "Come on big guy, it's time for your bath. Opi, you wanna help me give him a bath and put him to bed? You can sing to him. Then we'll clean your blocks and I'll help you re-build whatever you were working on."

"I'm building a big stage for my Barbie to sing on, just like mommy does."

"That's awesome baby. So, do you wanna help me?"

"I guess so, 'pecially if it means he's in bed. I need to practice my singin' anyway 'cause I'm gonna be a star like mommy."

"Of course you are, baby."

….

Finn finally got Cory to go to sleep _after _Ophelia sang him the entire soundtrack from _Beauty and the Beast_. He carried his daughter into the living room and helped her pick up all the blocks that had baby slobber on them and wash them.

Together they built a great stage for her dolly and he listened in awe as Ophelia sang 'Defying Gravity,' pretending it was the doll singing. He clapped for her and threw pretend roses onto the stage. After a standing ovation, she started to put her toys away.

"Why don't we leave the stage together and then tomorrow we can play again?" he asked her.

"Daddy, you know mommy doesn't like it when we leave toys out. She could trip and fall. What would happen if she broke her talent?" she gasped.

Finn couldn't help but laugh. His daughter really was the spitting image of her mother.

"I think it'll be alright. We'll move it over to the side so no one will trip okay?"

"Awright daddy, but if mommy gets mad I'm blaming you."

"I'm sure you will," he laughed again.

They moved the stage off to the side of the room and Ophelia put all her dolls away.

"Are you ready for your bath and some pajamas?"

"Can I have bubbles, daddy?"

"Sure, what kind would like?" They were standing in the bathroom together as Finn adjusted the water temperature.

"Can I have the vanilla ones Uncle Kurt gave mommy? It always smells so good and reminds me of her."

"I don't see why not." He poured a large amount of bubbles into the water. "Hand me the brush and I'll put your hair up. We'll let mommy wash it tomorrow when she gets home."

Opi grabbed the brush and hurried back to her dad. Finn was getting better at the whole ponytail thing. They only fell out about half the time now, so he counted it as a win.

Once bath time was over, teeth and hair were brushed, and her pretty pink nightgown was on, Finn set about cleaning up the bathroom.

"There! I think we're all done Opi."

"Daddy, you know you're gonna have to stop callin' me that when mommy's home. She doesn't like it." Ophelia grinned widely at her father.

"Ya, well, there's a whole list of things your mother doesn't like and half the time I can't even remember them all. Lucky for me, I know how to get out of trouble."

"Ha," Ophelia snorted. "Kisses aren't always gonna work daddy."

"Sure they will! I have super-duper-awesome Finn Hudson kisses and they always work on Mrs. Rachel Berry-Hudson."

Ophelia giggled. "You're so silly daddy. I love you."

Finn picked up his girl and hugged her close. "I love you more munchkin."

"I'm not a munchkin! You're a giant!"

"Oh ya? Well this giant's got you in his arms and you can't get away so you know what that means?"

"No daddy! No!" Ophelia tried to squirm away.

"Yes! It's time for the Tickle Monster! Rawr!" Finn started to tickle her and pretend to eat Ophelia's ear.

"Ahh! Help me, help me! The tickle monsters got me!" she yelled out dramatically while laughing.

"Admit you're a munchkin, go on, and admit it."

Ophelia threw her head back and placed the back of her hand to her forehead. "Woah is me, I'm a munchkin. When, oh, when will I grow?" she sighed.

Finn couldn't hold back, he laughed so hard tears were starting to form. "Grilled Cheesus, Opi! You're gonna win an academy award for sure."

"I know!" she smirked. "Uncle Kurtie says I have all this talent running through my veins."

Finn put her down and face-palmed. "I think you spend too much time with your Uncle Kurt."

The little diva smiled brightly and skipped into the other room.

….

Finn went back to cleaning up the kitchen from dinner. He forgot he was in the middle of doing dishes when all the drama had started. Just as he was finished wiping off the counters Ophelia joined him in the kitchen.

"I suppose it's time for me to go to bed, huh?"

"Well, the little hand is on the eight and the big hand is on the six so I guess that's your bed time, right?"

She sighed deeply. "I guess so. I just hate to leave you all alone, daddy. What will you do without me?"

Finn chuckled. "I have no idea. Oh, wait! I know… I can watch a movie."

He headed off to the living room noting the patter of little feet following him.

"Hmm, let's see. I could watch _Barbie's Swan Lake_ but I've seen it at least a dozen times this week. I could always go with a Disney classic, what do you think Opi?"

"Ya, but they always get you hyper, daddy. You need something that's gonna calm you so you can sleep."

Finn tapped his baby on the nose. "You are the smartest three-year-old in the world, Ophelia Curry Hudson! So what do you suggest?"

Opi rolled her eyes. "Of course I'm smart! I think you should go with a classic musical to sing you to sleep." She pulled a movie from the shelf and handed it to her father.

"Oh, I see." He looked at the movie and grinned. "Say, you wouldn't want to watch this with me, would you?"

Ophelia's eyes got big. "Sure!" She did a little hop in place before becoming serious again. "That is if you need me to daddy, you know so you don't get sad or anything."

"Ya, I didn't think about that. I wouldn't want to get sad and be all by myself on the couch with no one to hold, that would suck," he pretended to be serious.

"I could keep you company, daddy," she placed her small hand in his and looked up with her biggest doe-eyed look.

Finn acted like he was thinking about it for a moment. "Okay. Let's just not tell mommy about this." He winked down at her.

"Yea!" she squeaked. "I'm gonna go get my blanket," she hollered as she raced to her room.

Finn just laughed and set up the movie. It was difficult sometimes raising two children and teaching full-time, but he loved them all so much, so it was worth it. Rachel was home whenever possible, but working on a big-time Broadway musical doesn't always mean she got to stay in New York all the time. Right now she was finishing up the tour with her latest play; she had been gone for three months. They were pretty sure she was going to get another Tony award for her performance.

The stage had always been her dream; everyone knew that. Finn was always the first in line to support her. His dream had been the wedding, the kids, a simple job he loved and that made him feel good. Rachel supported his dream wholeheartedly. It was why they worked so well together.

He was dragged out of his thoughts by Opi tugging on his hand. "Come on daddy. I got the big blanket so we can share."

Finn helped her climb onto the couch and set out the blanket. Then he made sure the door was locked and the lights were off before sitting down. Ophelia immediately crawled into his lap and kissed his cheek.

"You're the best daddy in the whole wide world."

"Hmm, you're just sayin' that 'cause I'm letting you stay up and watch a movie," he teased.

"Oh no, daddy. You really are, even if I have to go to bed. I love you."

He hugged her tight. "I love you too, babygirl."

The movie started and in no time Ophelia was singing along and mouthing all the words. Finn smiled. His little girl was so much like her mother, even down to the movie she picked, _Funny Girl_. He lay back on the couch and tucked her into his side, covering them both up.

Finn could tell the moment Opi drifted off to sleep, her singing had just fizzled to a stop. He looked down at his daughter's face and brushed back a stray curl. Wrapping his arms around her, he took a deep breath inhaling the scent of vanilla and baby, before kissing her on the head.

He was too comfortable to get up so he just continued to watch the movie even though he'd seen it a million times. At some point he must have dosed off because a gentle kiss to his own head woke him up.

He opened his eyes and smiled. "Hi."

"Hi."

"I missed you."

"I missed you too." She laughed quietly. "I see she not only convinced you to let her stay up but to watch _Funny Girl_. I thought I was the only one you suffered through that movie for?"

"Well, she's like a mini-mini-you so…"

They both laughed quietly.

"Do you want me to take her and put her to bed?" She kissed Ophelia on the head and rubbed her back.

"Na, I got it. Why don't you go check on Cory and I'll meet you in our room."

"Okay." She kissed him softly.

Finn stood up cradling Opi in his arms. He shut off the TV and headed down the hall. As he placed her in her bed she woke up a little.

"Sowry I fell asleep on you daddy."

"It's okay beautiful, we'll watch it again."

She smiled and rolled on her side. "Love you, daddy."

"Love you too, baby." He shut the door quietly.

….

Finn crawled into bed and held Rachel close. "I've missed you so much. I'm really glad you're home."

She turned in his arms so they were facing each other. "I've missed you all terribly. I couldn't wait to get home so I changed my flight and left right after the last performance."

"How long are you home for?" he asked in a hushed voice.

"Four months. We're not scheduled to go back out until mid-January so we have all of the holidays." She moved closer and kissed Finn. "I don't want to talk about it right now though; right now I want to make love to my husband."

"That sounds like an awesome idea, Mrs. Hudson."

"I thought you'd like that, Mr. Hudson."

**Requested one-shot: Write a FF where Finn and Rachel have a kid named Ophelia where Rachel's on Broadway while Finn's at home with her and he lets her stay awake although it's past her bedtime and Rachel eventually walks in on him watching some movie or something…**

**I hope I got it right and you enjoy this!**

**Hugs, Melissa**


	2. Chapter 2

Finn walked down the hallway on his way to the kitchen to make school lunches.

"Ophelia Curry Hudson! Your butt better be out of that bed and getting dressed!" he hollered as he passed her door. He tried not to smile when he heard her groan from the other side.

He had just finished with Cory's lunch and was about to start on Opi's when his son came racing into the kitchen and hid behind his legs.

"Cory! Son, what are you doing?"

"Opi's gonna hit me daddy!"

Finn sighed. "Why would your sister hit you?"

"Well… I maybe… sorta, kinda hid her favorite shoes and possibly can't, umm… you know, remember where I hid them." The boy's cheeks turned a dark shade of pink and he wouldn't look his father in the eye.

"Cory!" Ophelia came stomping into the kitchen yelling. "Where is he daddy? I know that little stinker is in here somewhere!"

"Opi calm down and quit yelling. You're gonna wake up your mom."

That statement made the eight-year-old diva stop in her tracks. "Mom's home?"

Finn nodded as he continued to make his little girl's lunch.

"I want mom!" Cory demanded loudly.

"Son, mommy didn't get home until late from the cast party. You'll see her later, after school. Now, would you two please stop fighting and get ready to leave? We have to leave in ten minutes or we're all going to be late."

"Umm, daddy…"

"What Opi?"

"I may or may not have forgotten to tell you that I'm supposed to bring something in for the party in our class today." Ophelia toed at the floor.

"Oh, for the love of Grilled Cheesus! Ophelia! Come on, seriously?" Finn pinched the bridge of his nose trying to hold off the headache he could already feel coming on.

"I'm s-sorry daddy." Opi looked like she was close to tears.

Her father looked at her and narrowed his eyes. "Little Miss Hudson don't even try it. You and your mother! You both have three different types of crying and I am not falling for it today. Now, get your butt dressed. We'll have to stop at the bakery on the way to school."

He looked down at Cory, "and you, little dude, need to get your butt in gear too. Did you even brush your teeth yet?"

"Not yet daddy."

"Well hop to it! Both of you! We don't have all day." Finn barked out the orders.

Both children raced off immediately. Their dad didn't yell very often but when he did – look out!

…

Ophelia grabbed a different pair of shoes and slid into the bathroom nearly knocking her brother over in a bid to get some room at the sink.

"Move it squirt! I gots to brush my teeth too."

"Oooh, I'm tellin' mom. You're not supposed to talk like Auntie Tana."

"Ya, well, tell on me and the vintage Power Rangers Uncle Puck gave you may or may not have an unfortunate accident."

Cory's six-year-old eyes got as wide as they could. "You-you wouldn't!" he screeched loudly.

Ophelia snorted. "Try me."

The boy's lip started to quiver. "You're a meanie Opi! One of these days someone's gonna drop a house on you too!" He put his toothbrush back in the holder and ran out of the bathroom.

She smirked as she watched him go then turned back to brush her teeth only to come face-to-face with her mother's reflection in the mirror. The little girl turned pale.

"M-mommy?"

"Ophelia Hudson when you get home from school today we are going to have a long, long talk about acceptable behavior toward your little brother." Rachel raised her eyebrow at her daughter, almost daring her to say a word.

"Yes mommy."

"Now finish brushing your teeth and bring me the hairbrush. I might as well fix your hair since I'm up."

Rachel headed toward the kitchen looking for Finn. She found him putting all their things by the front door and she could see him checking things off his mental checklist. It always made her smile to watch him.

He looked up suddenly, grinning widely when he saw her. "Hey."

"Hi," she padded across the room in her slippers, leaning up for a kiss when she reached him.

His arms closed around her small frame and he lifted her up in the air, kissing her softly. Rachel wound her arms around his neck as she kissed him back.

"Did the kids wake you, baby?"

"Yes. Your daughter is quite the little terrorist. I'm not sure she should be spending so much time with Santana."

Finn chuckled as he placed her on the ground. "Rachel we talked about this, it's just dance classes. Tana and Brit own one of the best dance studios in the city."

"Well that may be, but, she is corrupting my baby! I just heard my sweet little Ophelia threaten her brother's Power Rangers for snitching," she huffed.

His chuckle turned into a full laugh. "That does sound like Santana."

"Not funny, Finn." She stomped her foot.

He laughed harder. "Tana not the only one Opi's picked up tyrant traits from," he smirked at his wife.

Rachel's eyes narrowed. "Finn, I know you're not implying that I am a tyrant, are you?"

"Absolutely" - he leaned down and kissed her on the nose - "not." He kissed her cheek. "It's not implied, if it's a stated and proven fact."

He laughed and jumped back, out of her reach.

"Arrgh!" Rachel put her hands on her hips. "You are not a funny man!"

"Oh, come on, babe, I'm just teasing you." He wrapped his arms back around her. "I love you, tyrant and all."

Rachel rolled her eyes. "You're lucky you're adorable, you know that, right?"

He just laughed.

…

Finn was helping Cory with his shoes while Rachel brushed Opi's hair.

Once the kids were ready to leave, Finn clapped his hands together, "Alright kiddos, let's get a move on. We still have to stop at the bakery. Everyone tell mom goodbye and give kisses."

Cory threw himself at his mom's legs. "I don't wanna go! I wanna stay with mommy." He pouted and turned his big brown eyes on his mom.

"Aww, baby," Rachel cooed at him and bent down hugging him close. "You have to go to school, sweetheart, but guess what? Mommy has the next two days off from the play so I'll be able to pick you up today and we'll go get take out for dinner, okay?"

He smiled brightly at his mom. "Okay mommy! I love you." Then he hugged her and kissed her again.

"I love you too, baby."

Ophelia waited until her brother moved away before approaching her mother. "Sorry about earlier, mom."

"I'm sure you are, but we're still gonna have a talk after school." Rachel smiled at her daughter before drawing her into a hug. "I love you. Now go have a good day."

"I love you too, mom." Ophelia squeezed her mother tight before turning away.

The two siblings decided to race for the elevator.

"Wait for me, guys!" Finn hollered.

He grinned over at Rachel. "Bye babe, go back to bed for awhile."

She smiled and nodded. "I probably will. I love you; have a good day."

"I love you more," he said as he kissed her goodbye. "Oh! And thanks for picking up take out, I can tell this day is just gonna be crazy."

Rachel stood there and smiled at the door for a few minutes, even after it had closed. She took a deep breath and shut her eyes to enjoy the silence. Locking the door before heading down the hall to her bedroom, Rachel muttered to herself, "I love my family."

**Requested one-shot continuation: Finn is stressed in morning trying to get the kids ready for school and Rachel's still in bed because she went to an after-party and is sleeping in. Ophelia didn't want to wake up and is fighting with her brother Cory then she forgot something. It's just that kind of day… then take out.**

**I hope I got it right. Enjoy!**

**Hugs, Melissa**


	3. Chapter 3

When Finn and Cory arrived home after school on Thursday the first thing they noticed was that someone was making cookies. The delicious smell filled the whole loft. Finn placed his finger over his lips for Cory to be quiet as he made his way into the kitchen.

Rachel was standing at the counter mixing batter and singing softly with the radio. Finn smiled when he saw her. She was wearing one of his old McKinley tee-shirts and some sweatpants. It didn't happen often, but whenever Rach dressed in his clothes it always made him extremely happy. And horny!

He cleared his throat to distract himself from his own thoughts.

Rachel turned and smiled brightly. "Oh! You're home! Hi."

"Hi, babe. When did you get in?" he asked as he moved to stand behind her and wrap her in a hug.

She turned her head and kissed his chin. "A couple of hours ago."

Cory came running into the kitchen when he heard his mother's voice. "Mom!"

Finn let go and stepped back so she could catch their son as he barreled toward her.

"I've missed you, sweetheart!" Rachel gathered the extremely tall eight-year-old to her in a big hug.

"I missed you too mommy! How long are you home?" Cory was almost as tall as her, the top of his head brushing her chin when she stood up.

"Just the weekend baby. Mommy flies back on Monday."

"Uggh! That's crap! I hate it when you're not home!" Cory stomped his foot angrily.

"Cory Hiram Hudson!" Finn barked, "Apologize to your mother right now! What have I told you about saying things without thinking – especially things that hurt mom's feelings?"

Cory looked at his dad, then back at his mom. Her eyes were bright and she was biting her bottom lip. "I'm sorry mommy. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. I-I just miss you when you're gone."

"I know, honey. I miss you all very much when I'm gone too." She hugged her little, not-so-little, boy to her. "I'm home all weekend and then I only have two months left on the road. By the time you are out of school for the year I'll be home and we'll have the whole summer together. How does that sound? Maybe we can do some traveling?"

"Like a family vacation?" The boy was bouncing up and down.

"Yes, a family vacation. That sounds like a great idea." She looked over her shoulder at Finn.

"Sounds good to me. Kurt and Puck just mentioned last week wanting to take the kids to Disney World since they're old enough to go on all the cool rides." Finn ruffled his son's hair. "Why don't you go put your stuff away and start your homework? We'll talk about it more over dinner."

"Yes daddy." With one last hug to his mom the boy raced off.

"Are you okay? I'm sorry he sometimes doesn't think before he speaks. I'm pretty sure he gets it from me." Finn kissed Rachel on the top of her head as he held her close.

"I think he gets it from both of us, but yes, I'm fine. It just gets to me sometimes. That's why I came home this weekend. I was feeling tired and homesick so I told them I was taking the weekend off, wished my understudy a good show and hopped on the first flight I could."

The timer on the oven went off and Rachel moved to get the cookies out. She placed them on the counter to cool before making another batch.

"Where's Ophelia?"

Finn had snatched a cookie from the tray. "shoos-wet-eth-an-kess."

"Finn," Rachel raised an eyebrow. "They're hot, silly."

Finn reached into the fridge and grabbed the milk, taking a long drink straight from the container, before noticing his wife glaring at him. He grinned at her as he put it back. She rolled her eyes and shook her head at him.

"Opi stayed after school with Beth and Chris. Beth will bring her home before dinner."

"Chris?" Rachel asked.

"Ya, Tana and Brit's son. Chris and Opi have been spending a lot of time together." Finn made quote marks with his fingers and wiggled his eyebrows.

"Finn!"

"What? They're not really related Rach, even though my brother donated the juice to knock Britt up." He chuckled at his own joke.

"Practically though!"

"No, they're not… and you might want to be careful about it around Opi. She's really sensitive. Last weekend Puck made a joke about keeping it all in the family and she freaked out and started crying. It took me an hour, a tub of cookie dough ice cream and sitting through _Wicked_ and _Funny Girl_ before she would calm down."

"Whoa! So-so it's serious? She really likes him?"

"Ya, she does. Opi tries to play it cool, but she gets that gleam in her eye whenever she looks at him. Kinda reminds me of this little diva I knew in high school who used to sing to me all the time."

Rachel hit him in the arm. "All right smartass, ha ha."

Finn snatched her up into his arms and kissed her hard. "You know I love it when you talk dirty," he smiled against her lips.

Rachel threw her head back and laughed. Then she tangled her fingers in his hair while wrapping her legs around his waist and kissed him back even harder. Missing Finn was another reason she came home this weekend. It was lonely on the road and she missed his touch so much.

"Eww! Mom! Dad!" Cory interrupted.

They both smiled at their young son as he rolled his eyes.

"I need help with my math, please."

Finn set Rachel back on her feet. "Do you wanna help him? I can finish the cookies."

She smiled at her wonderful husband. "Yes… thank you." She grabbed a glass and poured out some milk before handing it to her son. Then she grabbed a handful of cookies. "Come on baby; let's work in the living room."

….

Opehlia came home about an hour later. Rachel and Cory were just finishing his homework while Finn was setting the table for dinner.

"Dad! I'm home" she hollered as she swung open the door, "Bethie and Chris are here!"

Finn came out to greet them. He picked Opi up into a hug. At eleven she was the same height as her brother, a fact the younger boy never let her forget.

"How was school today, monster?" Finn placed her back on her feet.

"Good. We stayed after to work on lines for the play. Auditions are tomorrow, and while I'm sure I'll get the lead, you know it never hurts to be properly prepared daddy."

"Jeez, you sound more and more like your mother every day," he grinned over her head.

"You say that like it's a bad thing…" Rachel smiled back at him.

"Mom!" Ophelia ran to her mom and squeezed her tight. "Oh! When did you get home? How long are you here for? Will you help me rehearse my lines? Can you come see the play?"

Rachel laughed as she held her daughter close. "A couple of hours ago, the weekend, of course, and you couldn't keep me away."

Beth and Chris laughed drawing attention to themselves.

Beth lived part-time with Shelby and part-time with Kurt, Puck and her little brother, Mark. Quinn had offered to carry another baby for them so that they could have a boy. Biologically Beth and Mark shared the same parents. Chris belonged to Santana and Brittany. Kurt donated twice; Brittany gave birth to Chris and a few years later Santana gave birth to a little girl, Naya. It was all very confusing at times.

Beth moved in to hug her sister when Ophelia finally let go of her mother.

"It's good to see you, Beth. You're getting so grown up." Rachel smiled as she brushed the blonde waves from the girl's face. "Are you driving yet?"

"Not yet, but I hope soon. I turn sixteen this year and mom says if I pass all my classes she'll talk to my dads about letting me get my license. I think daddy will say yes, it's just papa that worries too much."

"Well I'm sure Puck will find a way to convince Kurt. I'll put in a good word for you too, and, if you really wanna stack the deck in your favor – call your Aunt Mercedes in California. Between 'Cedes and Brittany, Kurt won't stand a chance." She winked at Beth.

Chris laughed. "My madre says my mom could get him to do just about anything."

Rachel held out her arms for the young boy. As she hugged him she took a moment to really look at him. He looked so much like Kurt, almost the spitting image, except his face was a little rounder, more like Brittany's. She could definitely see why her daughter was attracted to the boy. He had moved with a dancer's grace since he could walk and he sang beautifully, although not at his father's range. She guessed if her daughter was going to fall in love, Chris was a good choice.

"Are you two staying for dinner? We were going to order take out," Rachel asked.

"Can't… I gotta get Chris home and then I'm watching Mark tonight. It's my dads' date night."

"Chris, buddy, if you wanna stay I can call your mom and take you home later," Finn offered.

"Thanks, but I should work on my lines for tomorrow." Chris pulled Opi into a hug and kissed her cheek quickly. "I'll see you in the morning and we'll go over the parts one more time, okay?"

Ophelia blushed and nodded. "Y-yes, sure, tomorrow."

….

They were just sitting down to eat when Finn's cell phone rang. It was Puck.

"What's up, dude? Aren't you supposed to be out for date night with my brother?"

"Dude, we're on our way out. Beth told us Rachel was home this weekend so I wanted to check if Cory was still playing on Saturday."

"Ya, I'm pretty sure. They need this win to get into the little league playoffs right?"

"Yup, but I wanted to check. I know how he gets about his mom when she's home."

"I'll double check and text you later."

"S'cool. Oh! And Kurt wants me to ask you, to ask Rach if she's gonna be home this summer did you guys want to go with us to Disney World? We're taking Beth and Mark. Tana and Britt are taking Chris and Naya. I think Sarah is meeting us down there as well. I'd be cool to have the whole family together."

"That sounds awesome, dude. I'll talk to Rach and let you know. Are mom and dad coming? What about your ma?"

"I didn't think about inviting the grandparents, but that's actually a good idea! Maybe the adults could sneak away for a night and leave all the kids with the old people."

"Noah! I know you did not just call Carole or Ruth old people!" Finn heard Kurt yell in the background.

He started laughing. "Dude, you are so busted! I'll let you go so you can start groveling and I'll let you know what Rachel says."

"Thanks a lot jerk face!"

"Whatever ass munch!"

Finn hung up before Puck could get another insult in. He looked up to see Rachel fighting back a grin.

"You two never change, no matter how old you get. It's really wonderful to hear." She reached out and squeezed his hand. "Now what are you talking to me about?"

"Like I said before Kurt, Puck, Tana, and Britt are planning a trip to Disney World this summer. They are taking all the kids and Sarah is coming down from college. They want to know if we want to go since Beth told them you would be home this summer."

"Can we? Please! Please! Please!" Cory chanted loudly.

Ophelia looked hopefully at her parents.

"It sounds good to me." Rachel laughed as both children jumped up from the table to tackle her in a giant hug.

"Okay, monkeys, back in your seats before you knock your mother over." Finn peeled Cory off his mom and deposited him back in his chair.

"When does the play end?" he asked.

"Our last show is the third Sunday in May. After that I have nothing planned until August when I agreed to do a benefit concert of Broadway music for charity. Maybe after Disney World we could go back to Lima for a little bit and see my dads?"

"I totally love that plan, babe." Finn kissed Rachel's cheek and held her chair for her to sit. "Let's eat! I'm starving."

"Uggh, you're always starving, daddy!" Opi smirked.

….

"Daddy? When is mommy coming home?" Cory asked over breakfast. He was excited that today was the last day of school, but he was more excited his mom would be home soon.

"Sunday night is the last show, so she should be home sometime on Monday. When you talk to her tonight you can ask her when her flight gets in, okay Buddy?"

"She was just here last month for opening night of my play, Cor," Opi chimed in.

"I know, Opi, but I miss her." The boy pouted over his cereal.

"Leave your brother alone, Opi." Finn ruffled his son's hair. "Just a few more days, Bud, just a few more days."

On Monday Finn woke up to the sound of singing and the smell of pancakes. He jumped out of bed and sprinted down the hall, sliding into the kitchen and nearly taking out the wall.

Rachel and Ophelia were making pancakes and singing show tunes while Cory was sitting on the counter drumming along. For some reason, he wasn't going to look at too closely right now, his eyes started to water and his heart thudded in his chest. His family was all together and would be for at least three months. They hadn't had that much uninterrupted time together in years.

Opi noticed her father first. She ran to him and threw herself in his arms. "Mommy's home!"

Finn spun his beautiful little girl around. "I know! I'm so happy too, monster."

"My turn," Rachel said as she moved into his arms when he placed Opi back on the ground.

"Yes!" He spun her around too, just to hear her laugh, and then he backed her into the wall and kissed her passionately.

Opi whistled while Cory chanted, "Eww, eww, eww."

As they sat down to eat, Rachel commented, "I spoke with Kurt yesterday. The reservations are all set for the week after next. We'll be there for two weeks. They are flying down with Brittany, Santana and the kids. I was thinking maybe we could leave a few days early and drive. We could rent an SUV and take our time, have an old-fashioned road trip. What do you think, honey?"

"That's awesome Rach, whatever you wanna do. I'm just glad we're all going. I spoke to mom and dad last Monday and they are coming with Ruth. I think even Santana's and Brittany's parents are coming as well."

"I heard that too. I called my dads, but they are out of town. They won't be home until a couple of days after we get to Lima. They said we could stay at the house since there is plenty of room."

"Oh good! Not that I don't like staying at my parents' house, but since they got the smaller place it's kinda cramped when we're all there."

"I can't wait to show Grandpa Hiram the video of my play! He was so disappointed they couldn't make it, but he promised to clear the schedule for my next one." Ophelia shoved half a pancake in her mouth.

"Ophelia! Could you try to take lady-like bites, please?" Rachel groaned. "I swear Finn, there is no denying she's your child when she eats."

Finn shoved a whole pancake in his mouth and grinned at Rachel while fist bumping with his daughter. Rachel threw her hands up, "Uggh!"

"Well I told Grandpa LeRoy I would teach him how to throw a football. Momma! Do you know he never learned?! It's criminal." The boys brown eyes were bright with delight.

"It's a good thing he has you to teach him then," she smiled at her baby boy.

The next week flew by with shopping and packing. They decided to take everything with them and drive straight from Florida to Ohio instead of coming back to New York. They would spend a month in Lima and then come home.

The day before they left Finn rented an SUV. Puck and Kurt were over for dinner so Puck helped Finn load up the car.

"Dude, you think you have enough freakin' luggage?" Puck groaned as he hefted another bag.

"You know how Rachel and Ophelia are – you have Kurt!"

"Ya, true, I've told him three times this week he's only allowed two suitcases. Every time I say it he glares at me." Puck looked around to make sure no one was listening before whispering, "He can be pretty scary sometimes, dude."

Finn laughed, loudly, "Dude, I know! Remember I lived with him too and he's mellowed since high school."

They loaded the rest of the car and headed inside for dinner. Rachel had cleaned out the refrigerator and either dumped or given away all the perishables since they wouldn't be back for over a month. The neighbor, a little old lady on the first floor, agreed to gather their mail for them while they were gone. The Hudsons were leaving in the morning but the rest weren't leaving for three more days.

That night Finn tried to have sex with his wife, but was interrupted by two little monsters that couldn't contain their excitement enough to fall asleep. All four of them finally drifted off to sleep after Rachel read two stories and sang the entire soundtrack to her last play.

The next morning Rachel woke Finn quietly and they snuck off to the shower together. Finn always did like shower sex!

Afterward, as he was towel-drying Rachel's hair, he leaned down and whispered against her ear, "I love you."

"I love you more, Finny-bear," she giggled. "Don't think I missed your pout when the kids interrupted us last night."

"See, this is why you're the best, you think of everything."

"I appreciate that, but I was just being selfish. I wanted you just as badly. I figured we could both use a little adult-time before we hit the road."

"Genius, pure genius woman!" He muttered against her skin as he kissed his way down her neck and across her shoulder. "But! Now it's time to exact my revenge on the children!"

Rachel watched from the bathroom as Finn stalked back into the bedroom and silently climbed on the bed before jumping on the sleeping children and making roaring monster noises. Shrieking and laughing came from under the covers as their father tickled them and squished them into the mattress.

"Let's go! Let's go! Last one dressed and in the car is a rotten egg!" Finn yelled.

Rachel giggled as she watched the children run for their rooms. She quickly put her hair up into a ponytail, brushed her teeth and cleaned up the bathroom. Finn made the bed as soon as the kids had left and was tying his tennis shoes when she emerged.

"I left your toothbrush on the sink, just bring it out when you're done and I'll put it in the toiletry bag. I'm going to start the coffee." Rachel kissed him on the head.

"Hey, don't bother with coffee. We'll stop at the bakery down the street and grab some with breakfast. Besides I think I gave Puck the creamer to take home."

"Okay, you better hurry then… you don't want to be the rotten egg!" she giggled.

Finn did a final walk through of the house, making sure everything was off or unplugged. He checked all the windows and the balcony doors. Their building had a doorman and security but it was better to be safe than sorry.

As he made his way to the car out front the kids were chanting, "Daddy is a rotten egg, daddy is a rotten egg." Finn could swear Rachel joined in as well.

"Alright, fine, I'm the rotten egg, but you still love me right?" he pouted at them.

"Yes!" the kids yelled before attacking his legs.

Rachel laughed at their silliness, marveling at how this was her life. The life she had always _wanted_ was Broadway, but the life she actually _needed_ was her family; the man she loved and her children.

"Okay, Hudsons, let's hit the open road," she yelled out.

….

The trip down to Florida was fun. Rachel knew most people with children would disagree that being stuck in a car for two days was fun, but for them it was. Maybe it was because they spent a lot of time apart - when they were all together – the most mundane tasks became adventures.

They sang Disney tunes and played 'slug bug'. Finn started a popcorn fight with Opi during one of Rachel's turns at driving. The boys played video games on the TV in the car when Finn traded seats with Ophelia, letting the girls take over the radio.

Before they knew it, they arrived. Check-in was a breeze as the girl behind the desk was a Broadway fan and asked for Rachel's autograph, then proceeded to upgrade their room. This just made Finn laugh because it still surprised Rachel that people really liked her.

That night the Hudsons hung out at the pool. The rest of the family was scheduled to arrive tomorrow. When they did finally arrive all the children were bouncing around with excitement. Rachel watched as Opi ran to Chris and the two hugged before he snuck a kiss to her cheek. It kinda hurt her heart to think about her little baby girl growing up so fast and that she was missing it.

The next day the clan headed to the amusement park. They spent four days covering all of Disney World and Epcot Center. Then another two days at Harry Potter Land. They went to the zoo one day and Sea World on another. Two days were spent at a water park and two days to be lazy on the beach. Finn, Noah, and Kurt, along with the granddads, Burt, Steve (Lopez) and Jack (Pierce) took all the kids out deep-sea fishing one day while all the moms and grandmas had a spa day. Then the women took the kids out for a day of shopping while all the men got a day to themselves to goof off. There were even two nights that the grandparents agreed to babysit. The first time the parents went out as a group of three couples, the second time each couple went on their own. It was a fabulous vacation.

The last morning they all had breakfast together before the shuttles arrived to take everyone to the airport. Ophelia and Chris had a moment when they realized they weren't going to see each other for about a month. Brittany quickly reminded them they could talk, text and skype with each other and then Ophelia would be home in no time.

Once everyone was off, the Hudsons went back to their room to pack. They weren't leaving for another day so they decided to just spend a lazy day by the pool. The kids were in the water having a splash fight.

Finn sat behind Rachel, rubbing sunscreen onto her shoulders and back. "Did you have fun, babe?"

"Of course, Finn. It's always good to spend time with everyone together. I feel like I miss so much when I'm on the road."

"You know we don't mean to make you feel that way, right?"

She snorted softly. "It's not any of you, it's me, really." She turned to face her husband, putting her legs over his to move closer. "I've been thinking – what would you say if I cut back on how much I'm working? What if I only did plays where I was home every night and no more on the road shows?"

"Rachel, Broadway is your dream. We know that, we knew it going in." Finn brushed a stray hair from her face.

"Dreams change Finn. I mean I wanted to be on Broadway and win a Tony award – and I've done that. I wanted to make an album with amazing songs and win a Grammy – and I've done that. What if now what I want is to stay at home and raise my children, have sex with my husband on a daily basis – is that wrong?"

"Umm, no, of course not! Especially the sex part!" Finn chuckled. "Rach, where is this coming from? Don't get me wrong, I love you, and I would love to have you home everyday but it has to be what you want for you… not what you think we want for you. Do you understand what I'm saying? If you do this for any other reason, you would be unhappy and eventually resentful."

"I could never!"

Finn held a finger to her lips. "Yes, you could." He took a deep breath. "Babe, my dreams were always simpler than yours, all I ever wanted was a job I didn't suck at and a family. I could do that and have that anywhere. It's why I followed you to New York and stood by you while you did all the amazing things I always knew you were capable of. I am so proud to be your husband. I mean, there is nothing more awesome than pointing out a billboard of you or a magazine cover of you and saying 'that's MY wife' or 'that woman loves ME'. So if you're honestly telling me your done, or you want to take a break or cut back – then I'll support your decision wholeheartedly – but it has to, one hundred percent, be for you."

Rachel wiped a tear away. "This is why I love you, Finn Hudson. I'll think about it some more, but right now I'm pretty sure I want to cut back for me."

He kissed her softly and held her close. "I love you too, Rachel."

**Requested one-shot continuation: ****mich21491****:"I'd really love to read about a Finchel family vacation to Disney World. If you could do that it would make me so happy****.**

**I hope you like it. Enjoy!**

**Hugs, Melissa**


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